19 problems related to structure have been reported for the 2003 Dodge Dakota. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The dash is falling apart. It began last summer and pieces are falling into the air conditioner vents. Cheap material used for the dash board.
Driver was using grab bar to pull self up into vehicle when the grab bar broke suddenly and pulled out of the vehicle without warning. This caused driver to fall and suffer a fractured hamate bone in the wrist and chronic shoulder pain. Injuries require surgery and are not yet healed.
The dash board on this vehicle is cracking all over. It has cracked around the passenger airbag and pieces have fallen into the airbag compartment. This has not caused injury yet, but if involved in an accident, the broken pieces will definitely cause injury and I hope that they do not affect the airbag deployment. Pieces blow into your face while running the defrost which if struck in the eye could cause an accident.
Vehicle dash is coming apart in pieces.
The dash is falling apart. It begin last summer and pieces are falling into the air conditioner vents and blocking the air flow and causing it to freeze up. . I have had a piece fall under the accelerator and cause me to be unable to accelerate in interstate highway traffic. Now a piece has fallen off causing the steering to jam. Part of the dash has fallen on the wiring and I'm afraid it is going to catch fire.
The dashboard in my truck has multiple cracks and my daughter has been cut by one of the cracks it is unsafe and should be replaced by the Dodge the cracks are getting bigger every day and soon I will loose a large section of the dash.
My wife was getting into my 2003 Dodge 2500 ram pick-up using the grab bar located on the passenger side of the truck. Grab bar is located on the interior of the a-pillar of the truck. Grab bar failed. The grab bar on the driver side failed 4 years ago, so I use the steering whee to get into the truck. She fell out of the truck onto the pavement injuring her knees. Upon inspection of the molded plastic grab bar. The failure occurred when the grab bar interior trim piece tearing at were the bolt interfaces with the trim piece. The bolts remained in the metal thread holes in the metal part of the a-pillar. The molded grab handle bolt to trim interface is not adequate to support any load.
The contact owns a 2010 Dodge ram 1500 quad (na). The contact stated that when he rolled both rear windows down, the noise level was very high. The headlinger in the ceiling shook and caused the vehicle to shake as well. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the vehicle was designed that way and it could not be repaired. The failure mileage was 32,962.
The dashboard on my 2003 Dodge ram 1500 is cracked and continues to crack more and more each day. I am afraid that pieces that may fall inside the airbag compartment which may lead to serious injury if they become deployed. There have been several complaints about this with this particular model.
On March 23, 2003 I was in the process of getting in my 2003 Dodge 1500 quad cab. The "a-pillar" with the grab handle on it came loose from the truck(the plastic cracked and went over the bolts holding it on. ) I fell back and struck my head on the drivers door and then again struck my head on the ground. I suffered a subdural hematoma and was flown by helicopter to st. Louis for surgery. My family was told to tell me bye on two different occasions because e doctors thought I was going to die. I made it but ran up hugh medical and therapy bills. When researching this on the internet, I found that this grab handle failure has happened many times causing some injuries to major injuries. I also found out that Chrysler has been aware of this problem in 2003. Motor trend magazine experience this same failure in 2003 when they were testing this vehicle. Dodge did nothing and when you've gone through what I have that just.
I was getting into my pickup truck while in the process of leaving work to go home for day. I reached in and grab the grab handle located on the "a-pillar" and started to pull my self into my vehicle. The "a-pillar" grab handle broke, causing me to fall backward sticking my head on the drivers door and then the ground as I continued the fall to the ground. As a result of this fall I developed a subdural hematoma and almost died twice as a result of this defective part. Both the drivers side "a-pillar" grab handle and "b-pillar" grab handle from the passenger side are in the hands of a forensic engineer who has determined that both parts were substandard. The passenger side was also cracked around hold down bolts and ready to fail. Pickup truck was a 2003 Dodge quad cab 1500 4x4 on factory 20" tires. Chrysler llc. Is well aware that this problem exists but has chosen to do nothing! in 2003 when motor trend tested the Dodge quad cab for their " truck of year award" the part failed on motor trend magazine. There have been numerous serious injuries reported pertaining to these defective parts, but Chrysler has decided that their bottom line was more important than their customers health. A recall needs to be made for these parts to stop these injuries. I ended up missing 3. 5 months of work and my health insurance company ended up paying out over $350,000. 00 for these injuries. I bought this truck in 2003 new and I did so in good faith. Chrysler needs to act in good faith and replace these parts and protect their customers.
Dashboard just above airbag has a crack 1 inch from the front all the way to the rear. No accident ever in this vehicle, first owner.
The dashboard on the 2003 ram quad cab was cracked after I got in it to head home from work. The truck has 31000 miles, and has been babied from day one by me. Crack is definitely a design flaw, and was not caused by sun or environmental damage.
8 inch crack on passenger side of dashboard in a 2003 Dodge ram truck. Local news report done involving Dodge truck dashboards collasping, falling in like a sinkhole. Started with just cracks like on my Dodge.
2003 ram 1500 upper and lower dash is falling apart. I have taken care of this truck sense I purchased it off the lot. Chrysler should look into this because I know for a fact that it is happening on most of the trucks out there.
My 2003 ram 1500 quad cab driver side handle broke at just 36,500 miles and the service tech at the dealer the there in nothing they can do. That it was on my own. I only weight 150 lbs. And landed on my back on the street. If the dealer would just replace it I wouldn't be complaining. That is a really crappy material used to make this handles. Must of the plastics use on the interior of this trucks is crumbling down.
Rattle in dashboard, drivers side.
03 1500 ram quad cab wind noise driving on the highway the wind noise is so bad that you think there is a window down especially on the passenger side, I had to take the truck back to the dealership numerous times they replaced weather striping on both sides but the vehicle still has a very bad wind noise on the right side. Dealer keeps saying (could not duplicate complaint) I am a retired mechanic and know better because I ride in the passenger seat when my wife drives and it will drive you crazy I know that the wind noise is not a normal condition you can look at the rear doors on both sides and see they need to be adjusted down but it's out of factory warranty now but it was in it at the time of (complaint's) so I guess I will have to repair it myself. I have ridden in other trucks with quad cabs and they are so much quieter so what is the deal ! ( it takes 2 people in the vehicle to diagnose the complaint) you can hear it from the driver's seat but not as bad. Personally I think they only send 1 person when they try to diagnose the problem. So I guess ill have to dig out mt tool box and fix it properly myself. I am a very disgusted Dodge quad cab 1500 owner!.
2003 Dodge Dakota experiencing problems with the ball joints as well as the welds of the truck bed at the upper part near the rear window. A recall was issued for the upper ball joints (04v596000) but the dealer wanted the consumer to pay to diagnose the problem. There are plastic rivets on both side panels that attach to the rear panel truck bed. The rear panel truck bed is so weak that about five pounds of pressure bent the panel. The consumer believes the plastic bed liner is stronger than the rear truck bed panel.